Top Trumps: Dogs and Dinosaurs

Top Trumps: Dogs and Dinosaurs is the second installment in Top Trumps video game series. Again, the title refers to a fairly popular card game, whose peak of interest occurred in 1970’s and 80’s. The rules are the same as in the original game, as well as the previous Top Trumps. Initially, each player is given a number of cards, all of which are described with different statistics (e.g. strength of a given hero). The player whose card has the highest value, wins the deal.

The game was released by a French company Ubisoft. Just as Horror and Predators, this is a multi-platform title, released for personal computers and two consoles (PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS). All three versions of Dogs and Dinosaurs present similar design and quality.

In contrast to the first game in the series, which dealt with rather ravenous creatures, monsters even, this one features different theme. As the title suggests, cards present friendly dogs and prehistoric reptiles.

No drastic changes were applied to the gameplay. You are still able to choose from several standard game modes. Quick Start lets you play a quick duel, without having to adjust any settings. There are obviously more complex duels, too, which you can play solo or with other players. Quiz lets you test your knowledge of in-game dogs and dinosaurs. However, the most interesting is the Tournament Mode, which puts you up against a series of games of increasing difficulty.

Just as in the first game, collecting cards is an important feature. This way you try to get the best deck possible, so as to increase your chances of winning. As we already mentioned, both types of cards have different statistics, e.g. the weight of a given animal. Therefore, you have to think carefully before picking the parameters to compare. You can also discover secret cards of a great value. Many of these items, including medals and other trophies, can be unlocked as rewards for winning tournaments.

In terms of graphics, the game holds the quality level of Horror and Predators. The main attraction are nicely designed game cards. Also, 3D character models were included.

Last updated on 17 April 2015